The effects of paraquat on regional brain neurotransmitter activity, hippocampal BDNF and behavioural function in female mice

Accumulating evidence implicates pesticides such as paraquat in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Indeed, paraquat exposure is associated with an increased risk of PD and when administered to rodents the pesticide recapitulates many of the neuropathological and behavioural features of the disease. However, it is unclear whether any sexual dimorphism exists in the in vivo murine response to paraquat intoxication, since most studies have used exclusively males. Accordingly, we sought to determine the impact of repeated paraquat exposure on a range of neural and behavioural outcomes in female C57BL/6J mice. The present investigation revealed that the female mice were largely resistant to the paraquat-induced nigrostriatal dopamine changes and locomotor deficits that were reported previously in males. Similarly, in contrast to the reductions of hippocamapal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) previously reported in paraquat treated male mice, the herbicide actually increased levels of the trophic factor in females. Yet, similar to our previous findings in males, paraquat increased norepinephrine utilization within the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the female mice. However, these changes did not translate into anxiety- or- depression-like behaviours in the open field test, as the females actually seemed to show enhanced exploration. Consistent with reports of a greater incidence of PD in males, these data suggest that female mice may be less susceptible than males to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic and motor effects of environmental toxins. The augmented hippocampal BDNF and noradrenergic changes observed could conceivably act to buffer female mice against some of the deleterious behavioural effects of parquat.